1998 Dodge Avenger RPM drop and occaisional stalling

My car has been acting up for about a year or so, Ive done alot to try to get it to work properly. Spent 1000$ for a tune up with all of the symptoms in mind, regular use of fuel treatments and injector cleaners, and now im down to replacing parts.

Anyway, here's the scenario:

Going about 30 km/h or less when very minimal pressure on the gas is applied. Taking pressure off the gas to stop, coast or even accelerating in between traffic, engine RPMs drop right to about 100 or so and then sometimes it stalls and sometimes it recovers. Also happens in reverse. Another symptom is going about 60 km/h steady, the car will feel like its jolting back and forth, also with minimal gas pressure applied.

Recently, We have cleaned the Air Idle Control and the entire Throttle Body, then replaced the AIC(not convinced that we calibrated it properly we got a whole different one from Pick and Pull), tried to replace the TPS but none of the models fit properly, so Pick and Pull :P got a different one, got a new PCV valve, and replaced gasket which was ripped in two places that was apparently replaced and paid for during the tune up. The Intake manifold gasket. This weekend I grabbed a whole different Throttle Body from a 98 Sebring, which is the exact same engine. Thinking the throttle body may have been worn out. But still the same results. :(

What do you suggest?

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Monday, September 14th, 2009 AT 7:31 PM

11 Replies

BLUELIGHTNIN6

EXPERT

Hello and thanks for the donation!

Are there any service lamps illuminated in the instrument panel? (I.E. Check engine etc.)

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Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 AT 3:39 PM

JBURTCH19

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No lights and no error codes from when I used a scan tool

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Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 AT 5:22 PM

BLUELIGHTNIN6

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Check for vacuum leaks under the hood. What happens when you put the vehicle in Neutral? Does it still stall out or idle low?

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Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 AT 8:24 PM

JBURTCH19

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I have to figure out how to check for vacuum leaks and when its in neutral it idles higher than it does in drive or reverse. But nothing unusual

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Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 AT 9:26 PM

BLUELIGHTNIN6

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Go ahead and check out these components listed below, they can all cause faulty idleing.

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Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 AT 9:58 PM

JBURTCH19

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Its not necessarily idling improperly. It idles fine until I tap the gas and take my foot off, going slow or from rest

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Thursday, September 17th, 2009 AT 6:36 PM

BLUELIGHTNIN6

EXPERT

Ok, another tech. Brought up to check the inside of distributor to see if the coil is good and ensure the small spring on the tip is still in place.

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Thursday, September 17th, 2009 AT 8:40 PM

JBURTCH19

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Ill have a look at it and get back to you

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Thursday, September 17th, 2009 AT 10:59 PM

JBURTCH19

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I had a look under the hood and the distributer looks pretty hard to get at. We replaced a gasket for the EGR pipe connector and it seems to be doing a bit better but same problem.

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Monday, September 21st, 2009 AT 5:58 PM

ARTHUR40

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Jburtch,

what was the final fix to the rpm drop problem you explained above. I have a 1999 Dodge Avenger and I have the same exact problem. My mechanic can't figure out what the problem is. Please help.

Thanks,
Art
pylotgroove@email. Com

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Friday, May 4th, 2012 AT 7:48 PM

RIVERMIKERAT

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Arthur40: Has your mechanic pulled soft codes to check for issues that don't set the CEL? Has he/she done a smoke test to check for vacuum leaks?